Kongming,a Strategist Mage in “Honor of Kings” is recognized for his unparalleled strategic depth and control over the battlefield. His expertise lies in setting up ambushes, executing powerful burst attacks, and manipulating enemy positions with precision.
Ranked as an S-tier hero, Kong Ming is designed for the strategic player. Crafting an Equipment build for Kongming focuses on amplifying his burst damage output, increasing his mana sustainability for frequent spellcasting, and boosting his survivability to maintain a presence in prolonged engagements.
In team fights, Kongming’s ability to disrupt enemy formations and deliver high-impact spells allows his team to seize control and dictate the pace of the battle.
This Guides covers Kongming abilities, skill order, combo, optimal builds, counters and Battle Tips.
Kongming (Zhung Liang) Hero Profile, Position and Lane Intro
| HERO TIER | S |
| RECOMMENDED FOR | Pro Player |
| CLASS | Mage |
| SUB CLASS | Ambush Mage |
| STRENGHT | Burst/Finish |
| STAGES | Late Game |
| LANE | Mid Lane |
| FIGHT POSITION | Backline |
| AZURE GOLEM | Highly Dependent |
| PRICE | 688 Tokens or 13888 Gold |
Kongming Basic Stats and Attribute
Survival
Skill Tier
Damage
Difficulty
Health
3250
Max Mana
490
Physical Damage
156
Physical Defense
87/12.6%
Magical Defense
50/7.6%
Movement Speed
350
Critical Damage
200%
Attack Ranged
Ranged
Health Reg./5s
46
Mana Reg./5s
18
Kongming Jungle Build
Items/Equipment
- Runeblade
- Boots of the Arcane
- Insatiable Tome
- Tome of Wisdom
- Void Staff
- Splendor
Arcana
- Nightmare 10x
- Avarice 3x
- Hunt 7x
- Mind’s Eye 10x
Common Skills
- Smith
Kongming Core Build
Items/Equipment
- Boots of the Arcane
- Scepter of Reverberation
- Insatiable Tome
- Tome of Wisdom
- Void Staff
- Splendor
Arcana
- Nightmare 10x
- Hunt 10x
- Mind’s Eye 10x
Common Skills
- Flash
Kongming Skills and Abilities
Time of Tactics (Passive): Hitting enemy targets with skills stacks marks, summoning 5 magic orbs at 5 stacks to automatically attack nearby targets, dealing 135 (+25% of magic attack) magic damage. The orbs prioritize enemy heroes and do not attack non-combat state jungle monsters, with 40% reduced damage to jungle monsters and 40% increased damage to minions.
Cooldown: 0s Cost: 0
Tips: Zhuge Liang can fully utilize skill casting to stack his passive, dealing burst damage to enemies at 5 stacks, while also greatly improving jungle farming efficiency.
Arcane Assault (Skill 01): Fires three magic orbs in the specified direction, dealing 500/600/700/800/900/1000 (+70% of magic attack) magic damage to enemies in their path. Damage from subsequent orbs on the same target is reduced to 20%. Each orb triggers a strategy mark.
Cooldown: 7/6.6/6.2/5.8/5.4/5s Cost: 60
Tips: Master the casting distance of East Wind Assault to deal higher damage and accumulate more strategy marks.
Time Shift (Skill 02): Blink in the specified direction, dealing 350/420/490/560/630/700 (+52% of magic attack) magic damage to enemies at both the start and end locations. A target affected multiple times by the energy field within 5 seconds will have their movement speed reduced by 90% for 3 seconds. If hit by multiple energy fields at once, damage is reduced to 50%. Each energy field hit triggers a strategy mark; “Temporal Shift” can be prepared once every 10 seconds, storing up to 3 uses.
Cooldown: 1.5/1.4/1.3/1.2/1.1/1s Cost: 40
Tips: This skill is core to Zhuge Liang, being his only mobility skill. It can be used defensively or to deceive opponents with sudden movements in team fights.
Winning Strategy (Ultimate): After a brief charge, fires a Vitality Shot at the targeted enemy, dealing 450/630/810 (+55% of magic attack) magic damage. Damage increases by 2% for every 1% of the target’s missing health. Hitting an enemy with Vitality Shot triggers a strategy mark, instantly activating “Moment of Intrigue” and reducing its cooldown by 80% if it kills the target. If the target dies before the shot hits, the cooldown is reduced by 80%. If the shot collides with a non-hero enemy during flight, it deals equal damage and knocks them back for 0.5 seconds.
Cooldown: 35/30/25s Cost: 120
Tips: Kongming (Zhuge Liang’s) ultimate can be blocked by enemy teammates, so try to cast it when an enemy is isolated. Choosing the right moment to use the ultimate for kills can refresh its cooldown faster.
Kongming Combo Sequence
Arcane Shift -> Time Shift -> Winning Strategy
Dash into the enemy with the second skill, stack the passive with the first skill to deal damage, and finally use the third skill wisely to finish off the enemy.
Kongming Teammates
Dun: As a mage, Kongming needs a tanky frontliner. Dun, as a warrior, can slow enemies with his first skill and provide a good output environment for Dun. Dun’s second skill also increases his damage resistance. Both can protect Kongming or engage enemies with Dun’s long-distance dash and stun with his third skill.
Zilong: Zilong pairs well with Kongming for their high mobility and ability to fight or flee while dealing damage. Zilong, a warrior with strong defensive and offensive capabilities, can distract and absorb enemy fire, allowing Kongming to deal full damage. If the situation turns unfavorable, both Zilong and Kongming can quickly escape using their mobility skills.
Kongming Counter
Kongming is easily killed by Prince of Lanling after being caught.
Mulan’s high burst damage can quickly kill an improperly positioned Kongming.
Kongming Battle Tips and Team Strategies
Manage the casting distance of the first skill to deal higher damage and accumulate more marks. Use the second skill to dodge enemy attacks and find optimal positions to deal damage. Aim to kill low-health enemies with the ultimate to refresh passive effects. Always be aware of your mark stacks and seize the opportunity to attack.
Detail 1: Utilize the passive to deal damage in the early game.
Detail 2: Use the third skill to finish off opponents in team fights.
Strategies: In team fights, Kongming should stay in the backline, dealing continuous damage with his passive and skills. Be vigilant of enemy divers to avoid being quickly eliminated due to poor positioning.
